LAMB invited to Cannes
We're proud to announce that Lamb, the debut feature from Icelandic writer/director Valdimar Jóhannsson, has been selected to participate in the Un Certain Regard program of the 74th Cannes Film Festival , which will take place this year from July 6–17. "We are of course happy to welcome the Icelanders to Cannes," said Thierry Frémaux, the festival's director, when announcing the film's selection. Un Certain Regard, established in 1978 to highlight emerging talent and innovative and daring works of cinema, is part of the festival's Official Selection. As a first feature, Lamb will also be eligible for the festival's Caméra d'Or award.
Lamb is a supernatural drama about an Icelandic couple who live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. This unexpected development, and the prospects of a new family, brings them much joy before ultimately destroying them.
Lamb was directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, written by Jóhannsson and the acclaimed Icelandic poet, novelist, and screenwriter Sjón (who also co-wrote Robert Eggers' upcoming The Northman), and stars Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Gudnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, and Ingvar E. Sigurdsson. It was shot by Eli Arenson and edited by Agnieszka Glińska. The sound was designed by Ingvar Lundberg and Björn Viktorsson, and the score was composed by Thórarinn Gudnason.
The film is an Iceland/Sweden/Poland coproduction. It was produced by Hrönn Kristinsdóttir and Sara Nassim at Iceland's Go to Sheep, Piodor Gustafsson and Erik Rydell at Sweden's Black Spark Film & TV, and Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska and Jan Naszewski at Poland's Madants. It was coproduced by Film i Väst, Chimney Sweden, and Chimney Poland, in association with Rabbit Hole Productions and Helgi Jóhannsson. The film was supported by the Icelandic Film Centre, the Swedish Film Institute, the Polish Film Institute, Iceland's Ministry of Industries and Innovation, Eurimages, and the Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
International sales for Lamb are being handled by New Europe Film Sales (jan@neweuropefilmsales.com).
Additional credits for the film can be found here.
Lamb is the fifth Icelandic film to participate in Un Certain Regard. In 2015, Grímur Hákonarson's Rams won the Prix Un Certain Regard, given to the program's top film. The other three films were Dagur Kári's Dark Horse (2005), Sólveig Anspach's Stormy Weather (2003), and Óskar Jónasson's Remote Control (1993).